How to work smarter during Ramadan

As the holy month of Ramadan approaches, festivities are high on the agenda and work may feel like a chore.

But life goes on and unless you have an amazing manager, your company is unlikely to cut you slack during the period. However, with a little planning and discipline you can balance work and play nicely this holiday season.

Here are a few things you do to stay on track during Ramadan:

Determine your priorities

What is your most important task? If you have a truckload of work to do before the holidays, don’t let it overwhelm you. Take a breath and schedule time to go through your calendar, then sift through all your tasks and identify the most important ones and get cracking.

You can also extend this approach to your personal life. If you have gifts to buy, focus on your immediate family first. Are there too many parties to attend? Perhaps attend the ones that are essential and turn down invitations from acquaintances and people you barely know.

Don’t bury yourself in work

Of course, you must go home and take part in the festivities, but that doesn’t mean shutting yourself down at the office. Sure, you could cut down on the number of breaks, but take a few moments everyday to catch up with your co-workers. Ask them their plans for the holidays and share your own stories.

Maintaining interpersonal relations are important - especially during the holidays, because who knows if you need someone to help you with gift ideas or even offer to take on some of your workload.

Cut down on social media

People today spend a fair amount of their time at work scrolling through social media. Without personal discipline, this can easily impact our productivity.

We’re not saying you should stay off social media, but it pays to be conscious of the time you spend on it so it does not eat into your time at work.

Go home at a reasonable time

Don’t get sucked into the pressures of presenteeism and pleasing your boss. Staying until 10pm isn’t going to help anyone - you won’t be productive, and your family is going to be massively annoyed with you. Instead, plan your day well, work smart, and finish on time. Head home to break your fast, enjoy the feast and hit the sack!